Pep desperate for new Sterling deal

PEP GUARDIOLA admits he is very keen for Raheem Sterling to sign a new deal after the England star’s dazzling display. The urgency for Manchester City to bring a positive conclusion to the contract saga was underlined as Sterling produced a matchwinning performance. Sterling has less than two years to run on his £180,000-a-week deal. Talks have been going on for months but there is no agreement in place. Harry Kane overtook Sterling as the best-paid England player when he signed a new deal at Spurs worth £200,000 a week. Sterling, 23, can expect a deal that will eclipse that. But the delay in agreeing a new deal has led to doubts over his future. Guardiola urged Sterling and City to reach some middle ground, saying: ‘I’ve not spoken to him about his contract. I’m not a sports director, not even a manager, I’m a trainer. I try to make a good team spirit in the locker room and win games. ‘But we are delighted with him and would like him to stay. We’ll do our effort to make him feel we count on him. And we count on him. We arrived after a difficult season and I told him I wanted to help him and would like him to be happy. ‘But the agents may not have agreed and it may not happen. But he knows, and his agent knows, we like him and want him a lot.’ The fact that Sterling only returned to training last Monday made this purring performance all the more astounding. Guardiola added: ‘His mum and dad gave him a special body shape. He’s small, tiny, so these kind of guys after one week training are ready. ‘He was good in training. We needed that guy in that position, and he did well. He’s so loved in the locker room. ‘He did some very good things in the World Cup, moving space and creating for others. He’d liked to have scored a goal and he tried, but I’m sure in the European qualifiers he will score goals for England.’ On his own performance, Sterling said: ‘I couldn’t wait for my holidays to finish. I needed to get back and I’m really happy I was involved, I wanted to play.’